Drilling machine



Aug. 22, 1959 R. T. CARROLL 2,519,

DRILLING MACHINE Filed Dec. 30, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fig-.1.

Aug. 22, 1950 R. T. CARROLL 2,519,437

DRILLING MACHINE Filed Dec. 30, 1944 2 Shee ts-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented Aug. 22, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 DRILLING MACHINE Regis Carroll, Coraopolis, Pa.

Application December SO, 1944, Serial N 0. 570,681

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a drilling machine and more particularly to such a machine particularly adapted for drilling airplane parts.

In airplanes of the small transport size and larger, there are a great number of more or less flat bulk heads having one to two hundred holes of various sizes which must be drilled. There are also a great number of small assemblies of various types. Most of these assemblies and bulk heads have different arrangements of holes there in and, therefore, it is impractical to have a multiple drill jig for each assembly.

The present practice is to drill each hole separately through drill bushings in a drill plate. In each assembly the 'drill may be changed-as high as ten times due to the various sizes of rivets and bolts being used, this being a very" slow and expensive operation.

It is an object of my invention to provide a mass drilling machine that can be used on many difi'erent assemblies.

This and other objects will be more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawings, in which:

Figure l is an elevation partly in 'crosssection of the drilling machine;

- Figure 2 is a plan view of the rotary table re-.

mounted for adjustment for correcting misaligne. ment between spindle .centers and work'to be drilled.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the reference numeral l2 indicates a machine frame having a slide is at its upper end in which is mounted a gear box I6 having a plurality of drive shafts [8 extending therefrom. The gear box may be of any standard type having means for rotating the various shafts I8 at the same or different speeds. Power is provided to the gear box by motor'zfl mounted thereon through the shaft; The lower" ends of the shafts l3 are mounted in bearings 22 which are fastened to a plate 2d by means of screws, 25. Mounted on the machine frame l2 above the gear box 16 is 2. cylinde ;26 containing a piston-28 which is connect- 2 ed to the gear box by a piston rod 30. Fluid conduits 32 and 33 admit pressure fluidto the top and bottom of cylinder l6.

As best shown in Figure 4, a sleeve 34 surrounds each of the bushings 22 and is attached to the plate 24 in any suitable manner. The lower. end of the sleeve is provided with two bayonet slots 36, each of which receives a pin 38 which is rigidly connected to a flexible shield 40 for movement therewith. The bottom of the shaft l8 extends into the sleeve 34' and has a transverse opening 42 extending theret-hrough. The shield 48 surrounds a flexible shaft 44 which has a bushing 46 brazed or otherwise fastened to its P end, the bushing being provided with diametrlcally opposite holes 48 through its walls. A floating pin 59 passes through the holes 42 and 48 to connect the drive shaft is to theflexible shaft 44. The other end of the flexible shaft M is brazed to a bushing 52 whose lower end is internally threaded at 54 to detachably receive a drill 56 which is guided in a drill bushing 58 supported in a drill plate 69. Since-it may be desired to usedrills ofdiiferent sizes and-to vary the size of the-drill bushing accordingly, the drill bushing is detachably connected to the drill plate 60 by the screws GI. The plates 24 and 6!! are con nected by means of a unitary portion 62 which is bolted to the machine frame I2 as shown. In

order to make sure that the outer ends of the plates will remain in the'desired position the ends are connected by the member 63. Surrounding the guide bushing 58 and attached to the drill plate -60 is a sleeve 64 whose upper end; is provided with two bayonet slots 66 for receive ing pins 68 which are rigidly connected to the lower end of-the flexible shield 40. -It will be seen that the top and bottom connections of the shield 40 are similar and permit ready removal orattachment of the shields. Beneath the drill plate 60 is a movable fixture 10 for supporting a plurality of workpieces. As shown, the fixture '10 has a plurality of openings 12 of various sizes and shapes for receiving workpieces W ofcorresponding shape. If desired, additional hold down. means may be provided for preventing movement of the work-pieces, Fastened to the fixture ID are a pluralityof guide rods 14 which extend upwardly into guide openings 18 in the drill plate 60.

When it is desired to drill holes at an angle machine, it is desirable to have a, plurality; of,

fixtures 10' so that one may be loaded ready for movement under the drills after the workpieces, in the fixture already under the drills have been drilled. For this purpose, the fixtures, 10', are, mounted for vertical movement in openings 92 provided in a turn table 93 which rotates about the shaft 94. The walls of the openings 92 are provided with liners 96 which closely fit the sides of fixtures 10 and cooperate with the guide rods 14 to guide the fixture in its vertical movement. The turn table 93 is provided with a gear 98 around its periphery which meshes with apinion I00 mounted on a shaft I02; supported'inbearing 104'. The shaft I02 is driven from a drive shaft I06" through bevel gears I08; The turn table 93 ismounted on-antifrictionbearings H0 and may be-providedwith a brake forholding it against movement when desired.

In order to better provide for alignment of'the drill and the work the drill plate may be ad justably mounted as shown in Figure 6. Instead of' fastening the drill plate 60 directly to the members 62 and 63, an open frame H2 is connected to these members and the drill plate 60 issupported therein. Screws I I4 passing through the wallsof the member I [2 are adjusted to-position the plate 60 in the desired position after which it isclamped in placeby moving wedges HG' inwardly along the tapered portions H8 of the frame H2 by means of screws I20. If desired; a ledge-maybe provided around the walls of the frame 2- to support the drill plate 60 during adjustment thereof.

The operation of the deviceisas-follows:

workpieces W are placed in the openings 12 in-one of the fixtures 10 when in its loading position and the turntable 93 is then rotated by meansof gear-98 and pinion I00 from the shaft I06 until the loaded fixture 10 comes under the drill plate 60. Suitable-well known means may be provided for indexing the-fixture 10 to this position; Flexible shafts 44, having the desired size of drill fastened thereto, arethen connected to the drive shafts 18 as disclosed above and a flexible shield 40 placed around each shaft 44 and connected to the sleeve 34. The shafts 44 and shields 40 are of substantially greater length than the distance between plates 24 and 60' so that they may easily be moved to the desired position; After the drill plate 50 is positioned" above the fixture'l9, the lower ends of-the shields 40 are attached to the sleeves 64 which are in thedesired positionabove the workpiece. Pressure-fluid is then supplied to the bottom ofthe piston 84 through the conduit 90, the fluid above thepiston exhausting through theconduit 88. The fixture I0 is guided in its upward movement by the line 96 and the guide rods 74 in the'openings 1B. This rapidly moves the fixture 10 to a position adjacent the drill plate 69, after-which pressure fluidissupplied to the-top of'piston 26 through fluid conduit 32, the fluid below the piston exhausting through the conduit 33; This moves-thedrive shafts l8 and the drills 55, at

tached" to the flexible shafts 44' downwardly 4 through the flexible shields 40, the drills being guided into the workpieces by the bushings 58. If it is desired to drill only vertical holes in the workpiece, the drills 56 may be made long enough to extend below the bottom of the bushings 58 in normal position so that they will pass through the workpiece when the fixture I0 is moved upwardly by the piston 84 and the vertical movement of the shafts l8 may be omitted. However, when, drilling holes horizontally as well as vertically, the movement of the shafts I8 is necessary to force the drill irito the workpiece. When the drilling has been completed, pressure fluid is suppliedito the bottom of piston 28 and to the top of piston 84 to return the parts to their original position. Meanwhile, another fixture 10 has been loaded and the turn table 93 is indexed so that the newly loaded fixture comes under the drills. If the second fixture is loaded in the same manner as the first, the drilling operation is repeated at once. If loaded in a different manner, the

drills 56 must first bemoved to. pass through other of the bushings 58 in order to give the desired arrangement of; holes, In some instances it. may be necessary to replace the drills with a drill of: a different size, in which case the drill bushing is replaced byoneof the required size. Whenthe drills have been arranged in the required design, the drilling operation is repeated. In some instances it may be desired to replace the drill'plate Bil-with a drill plate having a different arrangement of holes, this enabling a greater variety of workpieces to; be drilled.

Itwill'be seen that my invention isvery flex ible and enables a; large number of different types of workpieces to be drilled, since thedrills are easily moved from one drive shaft to another and from one guide bushing to another.

While one embodiment of my invention has beenshown and descr ibed, it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A drilling machine or the like comprising a plurality of drive shafts, a plate having openings therein through which the drive shafts pass, a sleeve surrounding eachof'said drive shafts and attachedto said plate, a drilliplate spaced from first namedplate, said drill plate having a plurality ofv openingstherein through which the tools-pass, a. sleeve connected to said drill plate at each of the openings therein, a plurality of, flexible shafts, a bushing ateach end of each flexible shaft, the bushings at. one end of said flexible shafts being adapted to fit over the ends of said driveshafts, means for detachably connecting each drive shaft to the associated bushing, a-tool connected to the second bushing of eachshaft, a flexible'shield surrounding each of said flexible shafts, the inside diameter of said flexible shields being approximately the same as the outside diameter of said bushings, said sleeves having bayonet slots therein, a pin at each end of each flexible shield adapted to be received in the corresponding bayonet slot, means spaced from said drill plate for supporting a workpiece, and means for moving said tools and-flexible shafts through said'flexible shields.-

2. Adrilling machine or the like comprising a plurality of drive shafts, a plate having openings therein through which the drive shafts pass, a sleeve surrounding each of said drive shafts and attached to said plate, a drill plate spaced-from said first named plate, said drill plate having a plurality of openings therein through which the tools pass, a sleeve connected to said drill plate at each of the openings therein, a plurality of flexible shafts, a bushing at each end of each flexible shaft, the bushings at one end of said flexible shafts being adapted to fit over the ends of said drive shafts, means for detachably connecting each drive shaft to the associated bushing, a tool connected to the second bushing of each shaft, a flexible shield surrounding each of said flexible shafts, the inside diameter of said flexible shafts being approximately the same as the outside diameter of said bushings, means for detachably connecting the flexible shields to said bushing, means spaced from said drill plate for supporting a workpiece, and means for moving said tools and flexible shafts through said flexible shields.

3. A drilling machine or the like comprising a gear box, a plurality of drive shafts mounted in said gear box for movement therewith, a plate having openings therein through which the drive shafts pass, a sleeve surrounding each of said drive shafts and attached to said plate, a drill plate spaced from said first named plate, said drill plate having a plurality of openings therein through which the tools pass, a sleeve connected to said drill plate at each of the openings therein, a plurality of flexible shafts, a bushing at each end of each flexible shaft, the bushings at one end of said flexible shafts being adapted to fit over the ends of said drive shafts, means for detachably connecting each drive shaft to the associated bushing, a tool connected to the second bushing of each shaft, a flexible shield surrounding each of said flexible shafts, the inside diameter of said flexible shields being approximately the same as the outside diameter of said bushings, said sleeves having bayonet slots therein, a pin at each end of each flexible shield adapted to be received in the corresponding bayonet slot, means spaced from said drill plate for supporting a workpiece, and means for moving said gear box toward said first named plate to feed tools and flexible shafts through said flexible shields.

REGIS T. CARROLL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

